Photo courtesy of KLFY.
Judge Michelle Odinet of Lafayette, Louisiana, is being asked to resign after footage of her laughing at a Black alleged burglar while calling him the N-word circulated online. The judge is also heard comparing the man to a roach.
Odinet and her family watched surveillance footage of the alleged burglar, Ronald Handy, 59, being apprehended by Odinet’s son on Dec. 11 outside of their home. They are heard laughing on the video as they recount the incident and use racial slurs.
“That’s me,” said Odinet’s son. “And Mom’s yelling ‘n****r, n****r.'”
Odinet is then heard using the N-word and calling Handy a roach.
“We have a n****r. It’s a n****r, like a roach.”
In her apology for calling the man the N-word, she claimed that Handy was armed in an apparent attempt for sympathy, which was not the truth. Lafayette Police Sgt. Paul Mouton confirmed that Handy did not have a firearm in his possession when he was arrested.
Odinet claimed to be sorry for the incident and claimed to have been sedated when the video was taken. She confirmed that the video was taken in her home but claimed she doesn’t remember saying the racial slurs.
“I was given a sedative at the time of the video. I have zero recollection of the video and the disturbing language used during it. Anyone who knows me and my husband, knows this is contrary to the way we live our lives,” said Odinet.
Handy was charged with simple burglary and released on a $10,000 bond. The Lafayette Chapter of the NAACP, the Lafayette City Marshal and the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus have demanded that Odinet resign. Furthermore, a current defendant whose case is being heard by the judge filed a motion requesting that Odinet recuse herself.
Odinet has so far refused to resign. However, she was temporarily disqualified from her position on Dec. 17 by the Louisiana Supreme Court after numerous questions about past cases arose.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told reporters that Odinet should resign as she could no longer work as a judge after what she said on the video.
“Perhaps all of the litigants who are African-Americans will seek for recusal,” he said. “And I don’t think she has a valid basis to deny that recusal.”